Key’s vile smear machine questions left unanswered

Posted by Megan Woods on November 25, 2014

The report into Judith Collins’ involvement in undermining the former Serious Fraud Office boss leaves major questions unanswered about the smear machine run out of John Key’s office, Labour MP Megan Woods says.

“This report has deliberately narrow terms of reference and so is a once-over-lightly look at the role of Judith Collins in the Prime Minister’s smear machine and the reasons for her dismissal.

“The report does not include key personal correspondence and phone calls and doesn’t interview major players, including Cathy Ogders, who gave the Cameron Slater email to John Key’s office.

“There needs to be a much broader inquiry into the issues raised in this report, primarily that key people in John Key’s smear machine were involved in undermining a government official.

“On the same day this report was the released, the Inspector General of the SIS released her findings which laid bare the extent of the vile smear machine run out of the Prime Minister’s office.

“Justice Chisholm’s findings suggest Judith Collins was fired for not doing something far less serious than what John Key’s office was found to have done.

“If John Key truly believes Judith Collins has been exonerated then he should reinstate her to Cabinet. He won’t do that because he knows there’s a lot more left to come,” Megan Woods says.